1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing a combination of natural drugs for treatment of diabetes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition containing 17 kinds of main natural drugs, i. e. Cordyceps, Bezoar bovis, Carthami flos, Astragali radix, Hirudo, Polygoni cuspidati radix, Polygonati rhizoma, Euonymi lignum suberalatum, Corni fructus, Moutan cortex, Lycii cortex radicis, Lycii fructus, Atractylodis rhizoma alba, Atractylodis rhizoma, Coptidis rhizoma, Puerariae radix and Rehmaniae radix crudae, which is an agent for prevention of diabetes and for prevention and treatment of complications concomitant with diabetes by decreasing the blood sugar level of diabetic patients, but not decreasing the blood sugar level of normal person, and decreasing the blood lipid level. The composition of the present invention is particularly effective for treatment of noninsulin-dependent diabetes (Type II diabetes) as well as insulin-dependent diabetes (Type I diabetes).
2. Background Art
Recently, due to a high economical growth and an improvement and westernization in the standard of living, body development of the younger generation shows very preferable result. However, in adult men diseases have been gradually westernized due to excessive intake of high calorie food, lack of exercise and stress resulting from complex industrial society. Typical example of adult diseases includes hypertension, diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia (hypercholesteremia), etc. Particularly, diabetes is regarded as the origin of all chronic vascular diseases.
In Korea, although before the 1970's diabetic patient occupies merely about 0.5% of national population which does not arise the medical interest, it is assumed that diabetic patient has increase to 2-3% in the 1980's and 4-6% of national population in the 1990's. Many of diabetic patients live without knowing that they suffer from diabetes. Diabetes itself may not be regarded as being a serious disease but is considered as a social problem since diabetes causes numerous complications, for example, diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, cataract, nephropathy, etc., which make diabetic patients not to lead a normal life and may cause fetal result in the end.
Diabetes is a disease wherein glucose is not utilized as an energy source in the body and is remained at a high level in blood and then excreted through urine, since insulin secreted from .beta. cells of pancreas is insufficient or does not sufficiently fulfil its function.
Diabetes is generally classified into insulin-dependent diabetes (Type I diabetes) and noninsulin-dependent diabetes (Type II diabetes). Type I diabetes is in the state of lowering of the function of pancreatic .beta. cells resulting from hereditary cause, viral infection, etc. wherein insulin is substantially not secreted, and suddenly attacks mainly in the twenties to thirties. Although it is not sure, type II diabetes mainly attacks in the forties and after due to family history for diabetes, obesity, stress, etc. In the case of type II diabetes, since insulin is sufficiently secreted from pancreas but insulin resistance and glucose utilization are different from those of normal person, blood sugar is not returned to normal level in spite of hyperinsulinemia.
Diabetes is accompanied with numerous symptoms. Typical examples of such symptoms are polyuria, excessive drinking and polyphagia. That is, diabetic patients exhibit polyuria which is caused by excretion of glucose and excessive water through urine by the action of osmotic pressure originated from high blood glucose level, and therefore, complain of thirst caused by dehydration, which induces excessive drinking, and feels the empty of stomach to cause excessive intake of food. Diabetic patients cannot efficiently utilize glucose as an energy source and, instead, utilize protein and fat as preserved in the body, and this phenomenon is caught in a vicious circle to cause the reduce of body weight.
However, such phenomena are merely the acute symptoms shown in the primary stage of diabetes. If diabetes becomes chronic by delay of treatment, chronic vascular diseases are induced as a complication. Thus, diabetic complications such as diabetic retinopathy (visual disturbance, blindness, retinal hemorrhage), diabetic nephropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, etc. reduce general metabolic and sensory function of human body.
In view of eastern medical science, diabetes can be classified into three kinds of weakness, i. e. weakness at high part, middle part and lower part of human body, of which the cause is fever of lung, stomach and kidney, respectively. Weakness at high part is merely called a disease symptomized by thirst, which is characterized in that heart is weak to transfer bad fever to lung and therefore, the patient feels dry in the chest, tongue is red and the lips are dry to cause excessive drinking. Weakness at middle part has polyuria and polyphagia as the main symptom and leads to the loss of body weight and the constipation due to a vicious circle of polyuria and polyphagia. Weakness at lower part is also called weakness of kidney. In the case of weakness at lower part, thirst is less than that in weakness at high part and the volume of urine is large and the pulse is weak. Weakness at high part, which has a serious thirst as the main symptom, may be well treated, but weakness at middle and lower parts is difficult to treat. When thirst lessens and body weight rapidly decreases, this means the progress of diabetes toward weakness at lower part.
The agent for treatment of diabetes which has been frequently used in recent days is generally classified into oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin injections. In general, insulin injection preparations are administered to patients suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes, pregnancy diabetes, and noninsulin-dependent diabetes which is difficult to control blood sugar with oral hypoglycemic agent; and oral hypoglycemic agents are administered to patients suffering from noninsulin-dependent diabetes wherein blood sugar cannot be appropriately controlled in spite of the combination of dietary therapy and exercise therapy.
Commonly used oral hypoglycemic agent can be classified into sulfonylurea-based drugs, biguanide-based drugs and Chinese medicines. Sulfonylurea-based drugs include glypizide, glyclazide, glyquidone, glybenclamide, chlorpropamide, etc., which exhibit stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreas. Therefore, these drugs have disadvantages that they cannot be used for insulin-dependent diabetes wherein insulin is never secreted from pancreas, and further for noninsulin-dependent diabetes wherein insulin secretion from pancreas is relatively reduced, and for women who has a possibility of pregnancy, since they may cause delivery of deformed baby (giant baby), abortion, stillbirth, etc. In addition, when they are administered in an excessive dosage or on an empty stomach, they may cause hypoglycemia and exhibit side effects such as skin rash, jaundice, anorexia, nausea (vomiting), diarrhea, etc. Particularly, the agent having long half-life (12 to 18 hours) such as chlorpropamide may be accumulated in the body and therefore, is very highly possible to cause hypoglycemia. In addition, since sulfonylurea-based drugs are metabolized in liver and excreted through kidney, they should be administered to patients accompanying disorder of liver and kidney function only with considerable care.
Typical example of biguanide-based drugs includes methpormine, etc. However, it is disclosed that their acting mechanism is not identified as yet but they do not have an effect of increasing insulin secretion from pancreas. Biguanide-based drugs show lower effect of reducing blood sugar level than that of sulfonylurea-based drugs and, instead, has a little possibility of hypoglycemia. But, they frequently cause gastrointestinal side-effects. Specifically, at the initial stage of treatment with biguanide-based drugs nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, etc. may exhibit, and further, biguanide drugs may induce lactic acidosis to cause fatal side-effects. Therefore, in America the use of biguanide drugs has been limited to the experimental purpose.
Chinese medicines which have recently used for treatment of diabetes are differently prescribed depending on three kinds of weakness. For weakness at high part wherein lung has a fever, tongue is red and thirst is serious, "Insambaekhotang" (Gypsum, Anemarrhenae rhizoma, Ginseng radix, Glycyrrhizae radix), "Junssibaekchultang" (dried Puerariae radix, Ginseng radix, Atractylodis rhizoma alba, Hoelen, Saussureae radix, Agastachis herba, Glycyrrhizae radix), etc. can be used.
For weakness at middle part wherein due to the fever of stomach digestion is poor, faeces is hard to have frequent calls of nature, but not to obtain fresh feeling, "Chowiseungkitang" (Rhei rhizoma, Natrii sulfas, Glycyrrhizae radix), "Sangjingamroeum" (Gypsum, Phellodendri cortex, Astragalli radix, Anemarrhenae rhizoma, Carthami flos, Bupleuri radix, etc.) which is disclosed in "Dongeubogam", etc. can be used.
For weakness at lower part wherein due to the fever of kidney renal fluid is deficient, resinous body fluid is exhausted and thirst is less than that in case of weakness at high part and the lower belly above the bladder (e. g. kidney, liver) is chill, "Yukmijiwhangwhan" (steamed Rehmaniae radix, Dioscoreae rhizoma, Corni fructus, Hoelen, Moutan cortex, Alisma rhizoma), "Shingiwhan", etc. can be used.
However, in most of diabetic patients all of three kinds of weakness simultaneously occur although each of weaknesses at high, middle and lower parts may separately occur. Therefore, in most cases, diabetic patients suffering from all of three kinds of weakness cannot be effectively treated with the above-mentioned Chinese medicines as conventionally used.
Thus, the present inventors have extensively studied to find the composition which can be effectively used for treatment of diabetic patients suffering from all of three kinds of weakness, by variously combining natural drugs which have been disclosed as having relatively little side effects. In view of eastern medical science, diabetes can be treated by removing the fever from lung, stomach and kidney, preventing the spleen from wetting and reinforcing the spleen and kidney, and further by reducing blood lipid level, stimulating blood circulation, eliminating dryness and thirst and forming resinous body fluid.
In consideration of this, in order to find out a composition of natural drugs which satisfies all of the therapeutic guides as mentioned above to effectively treat diabetes having all of three kinds of weakness contrary to the prior Chinese medicines, the present inventors have conducted many experiments using compositions containing the various combination of natural drugs. As a result, we have identified that the composition of natural drugs as defined below can be attained the purpose as mentioned above, and completed the present invention.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a composition of natural drugs which is useful for treatment of diabetes.
In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a composition for treatment of diabetes, which contains 17 kinds of main natural drugs, i. e. Cordyceps, Bezoar bovis, Carthami flos, Astragali radix, Hirudo, Polygoni cuspidati radix, Polygonati rhizoma, Euonymi lignum suberalatum, Corni fructus, Moutan cortex, Lycii cortex radicis, Lycii fructus, Atractylodis rhizoma alba, Atractylodis rhizoma, Coptidis rhizoma, Puerariae radix and Rehmaniae radix crudae.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more pertinent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner of modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a more thorough understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the disclosure of invention, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.